Willow Brook

General information

The Presbyterian form of Christian faith is best described as 'Reformed' with its strong emphasis on the Sovereignty of God, the Kingship of Christ and the authority of the Bible.

Preaching the Word of God is central to Presbyterian worship services that are set amongst a mixture of prayer and praise. There is no fixed liturgy in Presbyterian services of worship. Prayers and hymns, psalms and paraphrases, Scripture readings and sermons are adapted to the needs of the occasion.

The word 'Presbyterian' itself describes the form of Church government, which emphasises the individual and corporate responsibility of members. Ministers and members share in the organising and running of every aspect of the Church's work. In the Presbyterian Church in Ireland this is undertaken at three levels:

Congregational (local)
Presbytery (regional)
General Assembly (denominational)

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the Church. One of its roles is to elect the Moderator, the chief public representative of the Church who serves for one year. The current Moderator is Rt. Rev. Dr. Frank Sellar, who is minister of Bloomfield Presbyterian Church in east Belfast.

The Moderator, however, is not the ‘head of the church’. The Code, or constitution of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland clearly states that ‘The Lord Jesus Christ is the sole King and Head of the Church…’

The Church's administrative heart is Assembly Buildings, which is located at Fisherwick Place in Belfast.